Old Point Comfort Light, the second lighthouse built on the Chesapeake Bay, is on the grounds of Fort Monroe, an active military base and home of the Army Training Command. The 54-foot tall octagonal tower, completed in 1802, marks the mouth of the James River and the Entrance to Hampton Roads, and was built by Elzy Burroughs.
It was used by British troops as a watch tower during the War of 1812. A fog bell was added in 1855, and in 1891, a new keeper's dwelling was built to replace the one built in 1823. It was during this time that the reflector lamp system was replaced with a fourth-order Fresnel lens. During the American Civil War, it was badly damaged. After repairs were made, it was relighted in 1865.
The Old Point Comfort Light was automated in 1973.
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